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HEALTH FOCUS
Did you know you can impact the future of health care ?
Research needs people like you in order to move forward . Too often , studies have to end early or don ’ t enroll enough participants , leaving important questions unanswered .
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
You ’ ve heard a lot about health research in the recent years of the pandemic . Health research changes lives . It ’ s how we learn about health conditions and make discoveries to improve treatments , care , and diagnostics . Every medicine or tool we use — from vaccines to pacemakers — was developed through a process of rigorous research with strict oversight .
But research needs people like you in order to move forward . Too often , studies have to end early or don ’ t enroll enough participants , leaving important questions unanswered .
At the University of Kentucky , healthcare providers and researchers work diligently to advance discoveries that improve health . We ’ re part of research studies for new medications for conditions like Alzheimer ’ s , ALS ( Lou Gehrig ’ s disease ), diabetes , transplant rejection and cancers , and we continue to contribute significantly to COVID-19 vaccine studies . We also have studies about a huge variety of other health and wellness issues .
You are invited to join in this discovery ! You can make a difference by participating in research . Participating is a way to help others by “ giving forward .” It ’ s also an opportunity to learn about your own health and sometimes to access health resources before they ’ re widely available .
Whether you ’ re healthy or have a medical condition , there are opportunities for you to participate . Health research is more than clinical trials for medications or rare diseases . It can be as simple as a questionnaire , a non-invasive health test , or helping to understand the effects of exercise . Many studies compensate participants .
Health research includes extensive protection for participants . The same ethical and legal codes for medical care apply to research , which is regulated with further safeguards . UK , like every research institution , has a review board that evaluates research to ensure participants ’ rights and welfare . Every study follows a carefully controlled plan of what researchers will do and what is asked of participants , and this plan is explained in detail before you decide to join . Participants are free to leave a study at any time .
Visit UKClinicalResearch . com to learn how to get involved . You can :
— Explore current studies at UK by topic / health status
— Join UK ’ s Wellness , Health and You program , a confidential annual survey that seeks to learn how life experiences affect about Kentuckians ’ health
— Join the national ResearchMatch program , an easy , secure platform that connects people interested in research with studies they might be eligible for . Visit ResearchMatch . org / uky .
For questions about participating in research , contact us at UKClinicalResearch @ uky . edu .